Container



Dec. 19, 1922.

.1. RANDOLPH.

CONTAINER.

FILED JAN. 2|, I92].

2 SHEETS SHEET 1.

2; 'QZZW,

x4 TTOANE'KE.

-W. J RANDOLPH.

CONTAINER- FILED IAN. 21,1921.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

' wmf/v ram Arnie/vans.

, replaced by D to provide a container of this kind in which 25,

Patented Dec. 19, 1922.

barren stares PATENr or WILLIAM J. RANDOLPH, or BUFFALO, NEW YORK, ASSIGNOR T0 IVA MAE RANDOLPH,

o BUFrALo, NEW YORK. e Q

CONTAINER.

Application filed January 21, 1921.

T 0 all whom it may concern. Be it known that 1, WILLIAM J. RAN- DOLPH, citizen of the United States, residing at Buffalo, in the county of Erie and State of New York, haveinvented a new and useful Improvement in Containers, of which the following is a specification. c This invention relates to containers of the kind made mainly of elastic or flexible material and which may be used to contain fluids of any kind. The container embodying this invention is particularly intended to be used as a hot Water bottle, or if inflated with air,

the container may be used as alife preserver, but it is not intended to limit the container to these uses, since the container may be used for other purposes. 7

The objects of thisinvention are to produce a container of this kind in which the flexible portion is made of rubber tubing or the like, in such a mannerthat if the tubing becomes worn it can be readily removed and another strip of tubing; also the-rubber portion may be taken from a worn out inner tube of an automobile tire; also to provide a flexible container of this kind which will be strong and durable and which can be readily made of any desired size or capacity; also to improve the con struction of flexible containers in other ie spects hereinafter specified.

In the accompanying drawings: .Fig. l is a front elevation of container embodying the invention. 7

F ig. 2 is a central vertical section thereof.

Fig. 3 is a perspective view showing the lower end of the flexible tube of the container and the means for closing the lower end thereof.

Fig. 4 is a transverse sectionalplan of the lower end of the flexible tube and the closing means showing the parts in operative relations to each other.

Fig. 5 is a transverse thereof on line 5-5, Fig. 4.

Fig. 6 is a transverse sectional view thereof on line 6-6, Fig. 2.

Fig. 7 is a fragmentary elevation, partly in section of the flexible tube and showing the inner member of the upper closing means in position to be inserted into the tube.

sectional view 1 the container which a flexible Serial No. 438,833.

Fig. 8 is a fragmentary transverse'sectlonal elevation on line 8+8, Fig. 2, showing the upper end of the container. F 1gs. 9 and 10 are top plan views of the inner and outer members respectively of the upper closing means. 1 i

Fig. 11 is a front elevation on a reduced scale of a container of larger size and adapted to be inflated with air for use as a life ,preserver or the like. I

Briefly stated, the flexible container com prises a body portion which preferably consists of a piece of rubber tubing, such for example as a part of an innertube of an automobile tire, a closure for the lower end of the containenwhich closure is preferably made so as to-be readily applied toor removed from the body portion,and an upperv closure which is preferably removably secured. to the upper end of thebody portion,

are.

and is provided with means for introducing fluid into the container and discharging it therefrom.

A represents the flexible body portion of is preferably made of rubber tubing or the like and which may be made of a section of an inner tube of a tire. The lower end of the tube may be closed in any suitable or desired manner, such as by vulcanizing the end of the tube toclose .the same, or if desired, a clamp may bev provided for closing this end of-the tube. In the construction shown, this clamp consists of two clamping membersB, and B": which are arranged at opposite faces of the tube and which can be drawn toward each other by any suitable means, such as screws 6,

7 whereby the end of the tube is pinched between the clamping members and closed thereby. The; clamping member B is preferably provided with laterally extending arms or extensions between which the other member B may enter and which confine the tube against expanding laterally, due to the pressure exerted thereon by the clamping members. Before the lower clampingmeinbers are secured to the tube,'the tube is preferably turned inside out and after these members have been secured in place, the tube.

is preferably again reversed, so that the clamping members will be arranged within the tube, as shown in Figs. 1, 2 and 6. Consequently the clamping device will be en- .the base member.

tirely concealed and none of the metal parts of this clamping device will be accessible. Any other means for clamping the ends of the tube for closing the same may be employed if desired.

The other end of the tube may be closed by any suitable means which make it possible to fill and empty the container. In the construction shown, the upper end of the tube is closed by a cap member C, which may be of any desired shape, that shown being somewhat elongated so that when the container is used as a hot water bottle it will have two substantially flat sides. The capmember C cooperates with a base member D, which preferably is in the form of a frame pro vided with bridge portions (Z into which fastening devices such as screws E may enter to hold the cap and base members together. The frame or peripheral portion of the base member is preferably provided with an outwardly extending lip d and an inwardly and upwardly inclined portion d formed integral with the lip d. Thisframe portion of the base member forms a seat for the end of the tube and the base member is preferably anade slightly larger than the tube sothat when the base portion is inserted into its operative position in the upper end of the tube, this end of the tube is stretched so that it liesin close contact with the seat of The lower edge 0 of the cap member C is formed in such a manner as to cooperate with the lip (Z andinclined portion d to press the rubber into engagement with the seat of the base member. By means of this construction, when the cap and base i members are pressed together, the upper end valve G of the tube forms a gasket or seal with the cap and base members.

The cap member may be pressed toward the base member by any suitable means, the screws E shown for this purpose passing through holes in the cap member and engaging in threaded holes in the bridge portions (Z of the base.

The cap member is preferably provided with suitable means for admitting fluid to and discharging it from the container. In the construction shown for this purpose, a stopper or screw plug F is employed, which engages in a threaded hole in the cap member. If it is desired to use the container as a life preserver, as shown in Fig. 11, the stopper F is replaced by a suitable check which may be of any desired or well known type.

The cap member is preferably also provided with a handle or the like to facilitate carrying the container. For this purpose a bail G" is preferably employed, which in the construction shown is made of spring wire, and the ends of which extend into lugs or projections 9 formed on the cap member.

The container described has the advantages of being simple in construction, easily assembled and taken apart and the only part thereof which is subject to wear, namely the flexible body portion, can be readily replaced. The container described makes it possible to use portions of old inner tubes, which otherwise are of very little value. T he size of the container can be easily varied by using a longer or shorter piece of rubber tubing.

I claim as my invention:

1. A container comprisinga body portion consisting of a strip of rubber tubing having one end dlosed, and a rigidelongated closing device for the other endof said strip and including a rim having elongated sides and rounded ends and having a bridge member connecting said elongated sides intermediate of the ends thereof, said tubing being stretched over said rim, a cap cooperating with said rim for clamping said tubing between said rim and said cap, and clamping means COHDGCtiHg said bridge member and said cap.

2. A container comprising a body portion consisting of a strip of rubber tubing having one end closed, and a rigid closing device in the other end thereof, said closing device including a base having a rim portion over whichtheend of the tubing is stretched and parts extending inwardly from said rim, a cap clamped'to "said base and securing said end of the tubing between the rim portion of said base and said cap, said cap having an opening for filling and emptying said container, and means for clamping said cap and said base together, said clamping means engagingsaid inwardly extending parts of said base.

3. A container comprising a body portion consisting of a length of tubing of flexible material having one end closed, and a rigid closing device for the other end of said tube, said closing device including a base portion having an outwardly extending lip of greater periphery than the normal periphery of said tube and having an inclined portion extending inwardly from said lip at a distance from the edge of said lip, said base portion being adapted to be inserted into the end of the tube whereby the tube is stretched to conform with said lip and said inclined portion, and a cap adapted to be including a rim having elongated sides and rounded ends, said rim being of angle shaped cross section. said tube being stretched over said rim and entering into said angle shaped rim, a cap having an edge portion adapted to enter the angle shaped portion of the rim to press said tubing into said angle shaped portion, and clamping means for securing said capand rim together, I

5. A container comprising a body consisting of a portion of rubber tubing having one end closed,

ing of two cooperating parts adapted to grip the end of the tube, one of said parts being of greater periphery than the normal periphery of said tube, wherebythe end of the tube is stretched over saidpart, and the end edge of the tube is clamped between said last-named part and the other cooperating part of said closing device.

G. A container comprising a body consisting of a portion of rubber tubing having one end closed, and a closing device for the other end of said tube comprising a pair of clamping members between which the end edge of the tube is held, means for releasably and a closing device for the other niembers presents a end of said tube, said closing device consist securing the clamping members to gripsaid greater periphery than said tube, whereby the edge of said tube between said clamping smooth unfolded surface to be gripped by said clamping members.

7; A container comprising a body portion of rubber tubing, a relatively elongated clamping device for closing'one end of said tube, said clamping device maintaining the edges of said tube together and-parallel to provide a relatively flat end for said tube, a

detachable elongated closing device for the other end of said said closing device said container, whereby a resilient container is provided having two substantially fiat sides.

tube, and an opening in WILLIAM J. RANDOLPH.

for filling, and emptying 

